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Synonyms

racer

American  
[rey-ser] / ˈreɪ sər /

noun

  1. a person, animal, or thing that races or takes part in a race, as a racehorse, bicycle, yacht, etc.

  2. anything having great speed.

  3. racing skate.

  4. a turntable on which a heavy gun is turned.

  5. any of several slender, active snakes of the genera Coluber and Masticophis.

racer British  
/ ˈreɪsə /

noun

  1. a person, animal, or machine that races

  2. a turntable used to traverse a heavy gun

  3. any of several long slender nonvenomous North American snakes of the colubrid genus Coluber and related genera, such as C. lateralis ( striped racer )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of racer

First recorded in 1640–50; race 1 + -er 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The theme park opened its new rollercoaster, Spinning Racer, on Friday as part of its "new era".

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

Starring Redford as an obsessive skier competing in the Winter Olympics, "Downhill Racer" was described by critic Roger Ebert as "the best movie ever made about sports -- without really being about sports at all."

From Barron's • Oct. 21, 2025

Speed Racer came on first, followed by Ultraman.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 28, 2025

These sort of announcements no longer carry the fanfare that accompanied Phelps’ unveiling of the LZR Racer ahead of Beijing or the rubberized suits that dominated the 2009 world championships.

From Washington Times • Nov. 16, 2023

She was a six and thirty gun frigate, no great improvement on the Racer, but still a ship which an actively disposed officer might well be glad to get.

From The Three Midshipmen by Prout, Victor

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.